


The Lousiest Boyfriend

by lordvoldemortsnipple



Series: Merthur Prompts [3]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, First Kiss, Get Together, Love Confessions, M/M, Merthur - Freeform, Modern Era, and they were roommates!, demisexual merlin, flatmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-30
Updated: 2019-06-30
Packaged: 2020-05-29 17:08:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19404550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lordvoldemortsnipple/pseuds/lordvoldemortsnipple
Summary: “You know,” Merlin says, unable to look at him, “I’ve been thinking.”“Well, that can’t be good,” Arthur says, eyes drifting down the journal.“I think,” Merlin says, heart thumping loudly, marching outwards, “that you’d make a lousy boyfriend.”





	The Lousiest Boyfriend

Merlin hesitates outside of the living room, staring at the door that’s separating him from Arthur, and a conversation he isn’t sure he’s ready to have.

But the thing is, the ridiculous thing is, somehow, against his will, he happens to love Arthur so much it feels his heart is trying to burst out of his chest every time Merlin looks at him. And he feels it to such an amount that everyday seems like a struggle to not vomit his feelings all over Arthur’s designer shoes, which would definitely go terribly wrong.

Actually, he still can’t believe Arthur forgave him for vomiting on his shoes last time they went out for drinks. Maybe that’s a sign in his favour.

And if it’s not, well, he and Arthur have a solid friendship, Merlin will do his best to get over these ridiculous feelings, and they’ll move on. Arthur can get snobbishly chevalier when he wants to, and he’s an honorable man down to his core, even when he’s a prat, so he probably wouldn’t hold this over Merlin. Well, not until Merlin is no longer heartbroken, at least.

Merlin takes a deep breath and grabs the door handle, his grip tight but refusing to turn it open.

This is it. They’ve been friends for seven years, and Merlin has been pining over Arthur for the last five of those. Falling in love is such a rare, precious thing for Merlin, that he has despaired and cherished in equal amounts over his heart’s choice on the matter. It’s easy for in a single conversation for Merlin to think _Really, him?_ to _Of course, him_ , and then go straight back to the first point.

For Arthur is arrogant, and pompous and loves to order Merlin around, but he was there for him when Merlin’s father came back into the picture once more, he was there when Will died and Merlin felt part of himself die with him, he was there when unemployment seem to be a vast eternity for Merlin, and the money started to run thin.

Arthur was there too, making Merlin laugh to death at his donkey impressions, when they went to Portugal for a week in the sun, when Gwen and Lance married and they went together, dancing all night long, hands brushing and eyes meeting more often than not.

He’s there too, every day, pushing coffee into Merlin’s hands in the mornings, and blaming him for the lack of hot water in the shower; dumping his dirty clothes on Merlin’s pile and then buying him new, velvet soft scarves. He’s always there, laughing with Merlin, at Merlin, doesn’t really matter, as long as Merlin gets to be there to witness the joy on his face, the warmth of his laughter. 

Loving Freya once had been a gentle joy, a soft breeze to be enjoyed outside in the sun, a feeling of belonging and a push on his back, a skip in his step, to go on wild journeys together. Loving Arthur is the building up to a storm, despair and salvation all at once, a strong wind pushing Merlin to heights he’s not sure he wants, but then Arthur smiles at him and Merlin thinks he could fly forever.

Steeling himself, Merlin opens the door, to see Arthur splayed over the couch, reading the newspaper, an actually printed newspaper, the old fashioned fool. He glances up at Merlin, raising an eyebrow at him. “What are you doing standing there?”

“You know,” Merlin says, walking in until he’s leaning against the back of the couch, unable to look at him, “I’ve been thinking.”

“Well, that can’t be good,” Arthur says, eyes drifting down the journal.

Merlin has so much love for Arthur he wants to smother him with it. And then with a pillow.

“I think,” Merlin continues, heart thumping loudly, marching outwards, “that you’d make a lousy boyfriend.”

He hears the newspaper crinkle, and Arthur’s voice a little closer. “Come again?”

Merlin glances up at him, to see Arthur sitting straighter on the couch, leaning closer to Merlin, a frown making his displeasure known. “I said you’d make a lousy boyfriend.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Arthur asks briskly.

“It means that you’re not very considerate, are you?” Merlin asks, doing his best to look innocent, “you never wash the dishes, and you leave your shoes all over the place for me to trip. Bit selfish, really,” he adds, with a small shrug.

“You’re one to talk!” Arthur puts an arm on the top of the couch, newspaper forgotten, as he turns to face Merlin properly, “you always leave empty bottles in the fridge and never replace them!”

“Yeah, but I can be romantic,” Merlin says.

“And you think I can’t?” Arthur asks, his cheeks reddish, and then gets up, shoulders forward.

“A dollophead like you? I’m pretty sure.”

“Well, I’ll have you know that I can be _very_ romantic,” Arthur defends himself, going around the couch to point a finger at Merlin’s chest, “And I’ve never gotten any complaints!”

“Yeah? Why don’t you prove it?” Merlin feels his hands shake, a tingle in his fingers as he holds them back.

“Why don’t I- _what_?”

“I’ve got a reservation for a dinner for two, tomorrow night. Why don’t we go and you can show me how romantic you can really be?”

“You-” Arthur looks at him, mouth open as he tries to find words, eyes darting all over Merlin’s face. “You...what?”

"Can't do it, can you?" Merlin asks, doing his best to hide his nervousness. "See? I knew it."

" _Mer_ lin. Are you... daring me to go on a date with you?" Arthur asks, his cheeks beet red. Is he blushing because he's angry, embarrassed, flustered? Merlin really hopes it's the latter. 

"More like trying to find out how romantic you'd be on a date. With me." Merlin gives him a small shrug, but he can feel his ears burning, he doesn't sound as nonchalant as he'd like, and he's smiling, he can't really help himself. 

Arthur stabs him in the chest with another pointed finger. "You are such a _clotpole_ ," he lets out, but then he's tugging on Merlin's shirt and pressing his mouth on Merlin's, so he can't be that mad. 

Merlin laughs into the kiss, hands shaking with happiness and relief as he clutches at Arthur's shoulders, and then Arthur is laughing too, keeping his mouth on Merlin's so they breathe each other's joy. 

"You're an idiot," Arthur says when he pulls back, a hand on Merlin's neck holding him in place, "You insult me into a date and I'm the lousy boyfriend?" 

"That's how we fit together," Merlin says, his cheeks hurting from grinning. 

"Seems to me, Merlin," Arthur is grinning back at him, "that we'll have to find out which one of us is the lousiest boyfriend after all."

Merlin laughs, and pulls Arthur into another kiss. If it's up to him, they can spend all eternity figuring that one out. 

**Author's Note:**

> The prompts used for this one were "heated argument" and "playful teasing", whihc with these two are basically the same.  
> If you're on tumblr, consider reblogging the [post I made advertising this fic](https://lordvoldemortsnipple.tumblr.com/post/185942020659)? I'd love you forever ;)
> 
> If you got all the way down here (thanks, btw!), why not check my other Merthur fics?  
> [Get the Frog, Kiss the Prince](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14703792)  
> Gaius said Merlin was being paranoid, and Arthur said he was just jealous of all the attention. Gwen had looked at him with pity, as if she had an idea why the whole thing was actually bothering him, but didn’t say anything supporting either, so she didn’t count. Three female heirs with their parents, all trying to get a firm alliance with Camelot, and no one thought something would go wrong.  
> Merlin hadn’t really counted on everyone in the castle suddenly being in love with Arthur, but honestly it’s not that surprising, is it?  
> [An Illusion of Sorts](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6593434)  
> The night Morgana sneaks a magic show into Arthur’s club is the same night Arthur meets Merlin. Arthur knows not everyone shares his opinion on how tasteless magic tricks are, but he still can’t understand why Merlin is so defensive of this Dragoon the Great.


End file.
